Method for the production of half-stuff from peat-turf.



UNITED s'rarns PATENT orrion.

CHRISTIAN ESSER, OF WIENER-NEUSTADT, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOh,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO PILGR'IM PAPER COMPANY YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

Original application filed October 31, 1901. Serial No. 71,495.

To all whom, it may concern:

, Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN Essen, a citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing at Wiener-Neustadt, Lower Austria, Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented a certain new and useful Method for the Production of I-Ialf-Stufl from Peat-Turf, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new improvements in the method or process of reducing peat-turf to half-stuff; and it consists of the various steps and operations hereinafter more particularly described.

In order to thoroughly understand my in- IS vention, it should be understood that peatturf consists of partially-decayed vegetable growths-such mosses, ferns, grasses, and the like-which have died down and been submerged by the water of the bog wherein 2 the have been growing and that these vegetable growths are com osed of a fibrous skeleton or framework 0 cellulose embedded in and surrounded by softer vegetable matter. The cellulose or fibrous portion of the 2 5 plantis the part usually employed in the manufacture of the finished product. In the formation of peat these vegetable growths or I plants after being submerged for some time are attacked by the oxygen in the water, and decomposition gradually takes place, the

softer vegetable matters yielding to this attack first and the harder ii brous cellulose last. In its natural state, however, the cellulose consists of bundles or groups of fibers adher- 3: 'ing more or less strongly together, and these bundles must be reduced and the individual fiber separated before they can be used in the manufacture of paper or paper-board.

Some methods hitherto known for the pro- 40 duction of half stuilf-that is, the separation of the individual '[ibersare based on chemical treatment, and these give rise to the objection that the finer or individual fibers are destroyed or hopelessly injured if the action J, 5 of the process is allowed-to continue until the bundles or larger ones have been suflicicntly reduced, and in such a case it usually ha ens that during the further treatment (ii kali treatment) inmaking the half-stuff into aper the useless fine particles of cellulose tfius roduccd settle. and form an impervious ayer at the bottom of the sieve and are, moreover, incapable of felting owing to their mi- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

F HALF-STUFF FROM FEAT-TURF Patented Nov. 13, 1906 Divided and this applioation filed December 2,1901. saw (Specimens-l nuteness. Not only is the slu gish out-flow of the water thus produced the irect cause of the slow speed of the mill, but the article so produced is altogether of low qualityby reason of the faulty felting capacity of theseminute particles in the half-stuff.

It should of course be understood that in the natural production of peat the decompo sition which takes place is far from uniform, the smaller fibers or bundles of fibers offering less resistance to the decomposin action than the larger ones and are there ore rendered far more tender and susceptible of destruction or injury.

It is the object of my invention, therefore, to obtain the necessary reduction of fiber and the separation of the bundles thereof into their individual constituents without injury to the finer and more tender fibers and at the same time in a more satisfactory manner; and, broadly s' eaking, the invention consists in loosening t e fibers from each other by rubbing or other mechanical action, so that the bundles are disintegrated, while the finer articles are uninjured in any way, but are by the same operation provided with a rotective coating or retaining means, as wi be hereinafter more particularly described.

Various means may be used in carrying out my invention; but one machine which I have found well adapted for my purposes is that described in United States Letters Patent No. 690,363, issued to me on December 31, 1901, of which this application is a division, and wherein the bundles of fiber of the peatturf are reduced and separated by the action of reciprocating Stampers upon said peat, which is carried by a'tablc or platform constantly moving beneath the said stampers and at substantially right angles thereto, whereby a rubbing, tangential, or massaging action is produced, completely disintegrating the coarser fibers or bundles of fiber.

In practicing my invention ,the peat-turf, in its natural spongy moist condition as it comes from the bog 1s spread upon the table in a layer of the desired thickness, and the table is then started in motion. The reciproeating stampcrs are also u't in motion and strike the moving layer 0 peat, crushing the bundles of'cellulose and se mating the indi- The 111 the peat of course.

vidual fibers by rubbing t cm apart. softer vegetable matter ess. Thus the bundles of fiber are COIllpletelyreducod .and the individual fibers sep- ,arated, and allof the fibers thus obtained manicured-on coated withan envelop, of the gelatimius matter, which, by reason of its stickiness and adh rence, furnishes a means for in creasing;the l-etentiveness of the said. fibers, I, and, furthermore, increases their size, which to materially; aids in obtaining this result.

- The action of the staznpers on the peat-turf is soregulatedas only to crush the coarser particles or;. bundles of fiber which is be- :,tween the. faces of the Stampers and the table- 5- surface, while the fine particles and individuaLfibers. already segregated and which are already suitable for working into half stufi's are. protected by the thicker parts from the action ofthe Stampers, and thus remain unin- 0 jured. .By-this mechanical treatment of the peat-turfthetuseless and wasteful extraction of the weakerv and finer fibers; is sub' stan tialiy ,prevented,.and only those parts are reduced which .are;otherwise.unsuitable, while all ofthe fibers are provided with a protecting or .l'ctainin ,means which serves materially in .preventlng the fine particles from being washed away and lost :In this application .I have referred to the ,product of my .process-that is, the halls stuii'- -as being intended for use in. the manufaoture of paper or paperboard, and this is one of its prime pal uses; but it will be UI1(l(-31 stood that it may be employed to advantage .in the manufacture of various other pr'oduc ts,

, such as molded or pressed products, and 1 do not mean to limit myself to any partibular use to which the-'half stull' is to be'put.

, Having'thus described my invention, what I ,(llailfn, and desire tosccure by Letters Paten 1s- 1. The method of producing half stutl' for the manufacture of paper or pa )er-rboard, consisting in subjecting a mass oi peat-turf while In its natural state to a'pressure sufliclent only to separate the fiberslof the fibrous material and maintaining the said fibers in association with the non-fibrous. .materials contained in the mass and while the said ma.- terials are in the natural moist condition.

2. 'The art of producing half-stuff. from peat, consisting-in placinga body of peat in its natural con 'tionas. it comes from the bog,.1n position tohe'reducedto a pulpy con-.

its s steneyg d. thanapp yingspr ssure to the es oee mass of material sufficient to separate, the fibers from the bundles, stems or stalks contained in the Inass,-but insuflicientto destroy or break up separated fibrous portions of the,

peat for the producrate the fibers, and insufficient to disintegrate the separated fibrous portions of the mass, substantially as described.

4. The method of producing half-stud from peat-turf consisting in spreading the peat while in its natura.l state upona suitable surface, subjecting it to pressure, and then causing a movement of the peat-turf to take place -While under pressureso as to draw the fibers apart without destroying. or injur-, ing them, substantially as described.

5. The method of producing half-stuff from peat-turf, which. consists inspreadin'g the peat-turf while in its natural state, upon a suitable surface, subjecting it, to pressure, and thencausing the Said peat. to move in a direction substantially at rlght angled-to the direction of thepr'essure and during-the con-f :tinnance of saidpressure, so as to. draw the fibers .apart without destroying or.. injuring thennsnbstantially as described. 1

6. The method ofproducing half-stuff from peat-turf, consistingiin subjectingamass thereof whilein its of disintegrating blows andinoving said peat continuously during the said operation, substantially as described. I

7. The method of producing half-stuff from. 'ieat-turf, consisting in subjecting a mass thereof while in its natural state to a sharp disintegrating blow, which is insufficient to force the stamper through the mass under manipulation, and then producing a ,rnovement of said masswlnle under pressure so as to separate the individual fibersJm the .mass without destroying onimpairing the same, substantially as described.

natural state to thoaction 8. The method of producing .half-stufi' from peat-turf, consisting in spreading the peat-turf while in its naturalqstatcupon a suitable. horizontal.- snrface, subjecting the peat so spread to thcvaction 05: verticallyacting blows having sufiicienttpower to disintegrate andse bundles of fiber, ut insuflicient to affect the finer fibers lying between the larger ones, and then moving the peat-turf-horisontallywhile 1t is..-l 1nder.-.pressure,' substantially as descrlbed.

9. The: .-method oft-producing half-stufi .trorn peat-turf, consisting, in spreadimg the peat-turfwbile in its natural state upon a suitable horizontal surface, subjecting the plied blows. having. snlhc peat sospreadtto the actionv ofivertioally-apient-ipowertto d1scrate thei larger .fibers or integrate and separate the larger fibers or bundles of fiber, but not affecting the finer fibers lyin between the larger ones, and then moving t e peat-turf continuously While under ressureysubstantially as described.

10. he method of producing half-stuff from peat-turf consisting; in reducing the peat in its natural state we uniform fibrous bundles of fibers of the cellulose contained.

therein inthe presence of the gelatinous matter normally contained H1 the peat, and

in rubbing the gelatinous matter into the fibers when separated, substantially as described.

12. The method of producing halfstufi' from peat consistingin subjecting peat will as it comes from the bog in a spongy condltion tothe action of ress'ure wh1ch will break up'thebundles o fibers without removing the gelatinous matter from the mass, and smearm the gelatinous matter u on the individual fibers so as to substantia y coat the same with an envelop thereof, substantially as described.

.13..The method of producing half-stufl' from peat-turf 'ebrisisting in spreading the suita )le surface and subjecting it to a tangentially-applied stamping operation which individual fibers so separated with the softer vegetable matter contained in the peat. v

In testimony whereof]. aflix my signature. CHRISTIAN ESSER.

In presence of Farnmuex BINDLE, ALYESTO S. Hoeun.

enetrate the mass and isintegrate the bun les of fiber, and smear the surface of the I eat while inits natural state upon a 

